Three Colorado Cities Ban Fracking In Tuesday's Elections

Aversion to the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing became apparent Tuesday as residents in three cities along the Front Range -- including Boulder and Lafayette -- voted to put a halt to the energy extraction method within their borders.

In Broomfield, the only other city to have a fracking ban on the ballot, the issue was failing as of 11:40 p.m., albeit by about a percentage point -- or 194 votes.

Lafayette's measure -- an all-out ban on new oil and gas drilling in the city -- was prevailing 58 percent to 42 percent, while Boulder voters were overwhelmingly saying "no" to fracking within city limits. The margin in Boulder was 77 percent in favor of a five-year extension of the city's fracking moratorium versus 23 percent against.

A five-year fracking moratorium was also winning in Fort Collins, 55 percent to 45 percent, as of 11:40 p.m. Cliff Willmeng, who led the fight against fracking in Lafayette as part of the group East Boulder County United, said Tuesday the message is clear that his city "is not a community that welcomes the idea that the oil and gas industry has the final word on how they live."

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